


A Journey in Bedsharing

by ponchothor



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Cuddling & Snuggling, Declarations Of Love, Fluff, M/M, Mutual Pining, Sharing a Bed, a bit of hurt/comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-03
Updated: 2018-08-03
Packaged: 2019-06-21 07:50:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,952
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15553053
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ponchothor/pseuds/ponchothor
Summary: The first time Thor and Bruce shared a bed, it was on accident.





	A Journey in Bedsharing

**Author's Note:**

> For ThorBruce Week Day 3- Comfort.

The first time Thor and Bruce shared a bed, it was on accident. It was 2am and Bruce was leaving the lab for the first time in almost 24 hours. Practically asleep on his feet, he didn’t even realize that the door he opened was the one to the left of his own. He lazily kicked off his shoes and pants and pulled his button up over his head (he was too tired to even try with the buttons right now), leaving him in his undershirt and boxers. As he climbed into the bed, he noticed the soft snores and even breathing coming from the other side of it, but chalked it up to sleep deprivation and drifted off himself. It wasn’t until the next morning that he realized it was Thor’s bed.

Thor found himself being woken up by light snoring in his ear around 4am. When he opened his sleep heavy eyes, he saw Bruce sleeping peacefully on his side with his head turned toward Thor, Thor’s arms wrapped loosely around him. This was a nice dream, albeit not a new one, Thor thought, before pulling dream Bruce closer to him, pressing a kiss into his curls, and closing his eyes once again. He felt Bruce instinctively nuzzle his face into his chest and rested his chin atop Bruce’s head before drifting back off to sleep. It wasn’t until the next morning that Thor realized in his previous dreams of waking up with Bruce, he never fell back asleep. It wasn’t until the next morning that he realized it wasn’t a dream at all.

At just after 9, Bruce woke up to find his face pressed to a large, firm chest and strong arms wrapped around him. That was unusual. He pulled back find that a sleeping Thor was the culprit. He certainly wasn’t opposed to it, but didn’t remember Thor coming into his room last night. And Thor didn’t seem like the type to jump into bed with someone in any manner without their consent first.

“Thor? When did you come in?” Bruce gently shook the sleeping Thor.

“Mmmm...Bruce…” Thor slowly released Bruce from his grip and stretched.

“G’Morning, Thor. I’m not mad but- why are you in my bed?” Bruce sat up and let the sheets fall from his torso, relieved that he had deigned to wear a t-shirt to bed the night before.

“Banner, this is my room.”

“What? No, I remember coming to bed late last night and-” Bruce looked around, the lack of books and papers and empty mugs covering any surfaces confirming that this was, in fact, not his room. “Oh god Thor. I’m so sorry.”

“Nonsense, Banner, it’s nothing. I am just glad that you appear to have gotten a decent night’s sleep for once.” Bruce did notice, when he glanced at himself in the mirror across from the bed, that the bags under his eyes seemed to be lighter than they usually were.

They didn’t talk about it after. Bruce was still too embarrassed and Thor didn’t want to push, so instead it hung in the air between them for the rest of the day. It wasn’t bad, per say, but no matter what they did there was an air of awkwardness around it, like they were tiptoeing around something. The day went on as usual, Bruce in the lab, Thor popping in from time to time to make sure Bruce remembered to do things like eat something and drink at least one glass of water for every cup of coffee he had. For someone who spent all his time trying to help and take care of others, Bruce was remarkably bad at taking care of himself. So once they got back from Sakaar, Thor decided he’d do it for him.

It was late into the night when the sleep incident came up again. Thor rarely slept for more than a few restless hours a night since Ultron, not that anyone would know, with his constantly chipper attitude. But after sharing a bed with Bruce, after actually getting a full night’s sleep for once, Thor found it even harder to drift off on his own. He’d been trying for three hours when he finally gave up at 1am. 

Thor left his own room, deciding to pull on a t-shirt before doing so, and was extra careful no to let his door slam behind him. Walking the 20 feet to Bruce’s door was a terrifying thought, but he knew if he was going to get any sleep at all he had to do it. He made the walk over and brought his hand up to knock, but found that the door was already opening.

“Thor?” He heard the sleepy-looking Bruce the door revealed ask.

“Yes,it’s me, Banner.”

“How did you know to come? I was just about to come find you?”

“You were? I couldn’t sleep and well, last night was the best I’ve slept in....years, probably. I’m not sure exactly what I planned to say but-”

“No I get it, Thor. I rarely sleep at all, much less as soundly as I did last night. I was coming to find you to, well, see if you were opposed to repeating last night.” Bruce looked nervous. “But, uh, without the me thinking it’s my own room and you not knowing I was there until the morning part.”

“Banner, I think that’s a wonderful idea. My room or yours?”

“Your, uh, your bed is bigger. And your room is probably cleaner,” Bruce gestured behind him to the stacks of papers and coffee mugs that could be seen on almost every surface.

“That sounds perfect to me, Banner,” Thor turned to walk back down the hall and gestured for Bruce to follow.

After that night, it became sort of a thing they did. Every night Bruce would walk across the hall to Thor’s room at some point after midnight, and without speaking, Thor would pull up the covers next to him for Bruce to climb in. At some point in the night, Thor’s arms always found their way around Bruce and Bruce’s head found its way into the crook between Thor’s neck and shoulder. And for the first time in a long time, both of them were actually, legitimately sleeping. The bags under Bruce’s eyes had faded and Thor was somehow even more energetic than before.

Things were better, but they weren’t perfect. There were still nights when Bruce would wake up in a cold sweat, the ghost of his father’s fist seeming inches from his face again. On these nights, Thor would hold him tight, carding his fingers through Bruce’s curls, and whisper comforting words of old norse into his ear until he drifted back to sleep hours later. There were nights when Thor would wake up screaming, the sight of a Hela-ravaged Asgard fresh in his mind, and it was Bruce’s turn to pull Thor to his chest, breathing evenly as the steady beat of his heart and the sound of his breath brought Thor back to reality, and eventually back to sleep.

And then there was the pining. As much as sleeping next to Thor had helped him, it had created a feeling of longing in his heart, like ice was slowly spreading across it and cancelling out the warmth that lay there. Every night became bittersweet, comfort mixed with an aching sadness, and Bruce wasn’t sure how much more he could take. But he cared too much to leave Thor to the nightmares alone. As long as Thor needed him, he’d be there.

Thor wasn’t much better, but instead of the bittersweet longing Bruce felt near constantly, he was hit with what felt like a knife to the heart every morning when he woke up before Bruce, treasuring the time he could see Bruce truly at peace. The light from the window always hit Bruce along the side of his face just right, causing Thor to notice the smile lines near his eyes that were nonexistent at first but grew deeper by the day. To notice the way his eyelashes were long enough to lightly touch the cheek below them, illuminated by the morning sun. And that’s when the shard of ice would hit him. The beautiful, perfect man in front of him wasn’t his to love, and likely never would be. So Thor took what he could get, trying to ignore the sharp pain in his heart and relish the moments that he could pretend Bruce could love him back.

About two months into this, things changed. Bruce woke up about 10 minutes earlier than usual to find Thor looking at him with a soft smile. A sad smile, one filled with longing. Thor’s face immediately changed upon seeing Bruce’s eyes open, now stricken with anxiety and guilt. Bruce couldn’t have that. And maybe it was his half-asleep state that gave him the courage, or maybe it was his green friend pushing for him to get his shit together, but Bruce leaned forward, his lips now ghosting over Thor’s, as though asking permission. Thor’s hand came to the side of Bruce’s face as he pressed forward lightly, beginning a chaste kiss. Bruce leaned in more, taking the kiss deeper as their lips moved together languidly. They were now flush against one another, Bruce’s arm around Thor’s waist to keep him close and Thor’s hand resting gently on the nape of Bruce’s neck, slowly carding through the curls down there as they kissed for what seemed like hours.   
It was Thor who pulled away first, just enough to breathe, his forehead still against Bruce’s.

“Banner...Bruce. Do you know how long I’ve wanted to do that?” He sighed.

“How long you have? I’ve been dreaming about this since before that night I accidentally came to your room instead of my own. I just never thought you could feel the same.”

“Bruce, love, I’ve been in love with you longer than I can truly remember. Since before Sakaar, even. I’ve barely stopped thinking about you since you first came back down to yourself on the quinjet. It took everything I had not to kiss you right there.”

“Are you kidding me? That’s all I wanted. But I never thought- well, you’re a literal god and I’m me.”

“Bruce, I never thought you could return my feelings. You’re brilliant and kind and selfless and the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen. You’re the strongest person I’ve ever met and you make me want to be stronger for you. I’m a bumbling idiot compared to you.”

“Thor, you are the absolute brightest, bravest, kindest, most truly good person I’ve ever met. You’re beauty personified. You’re way smarter than you give yourself credit for, and the way you see the universe makes me excited about the smallest things all over again. I look at things like dandelions in the sidewalk crack and think ‘how would Thor see this?’ You’re beyond amazing, Thor.”

“So I guess we’re both the idiots, then?”

“I’m an absolute idiot. And you’re a dumbass. But you’re my dumbass, and I love you.”

“Bruce, you’re the smartest idiot I’ve ever met, and I didn’t think it was possible to love anyone as much as I love you.”

After that morning, their routine changed. Bruce didn’t wait until midnight to join Thor anymore, and Thor’s room was now his room as his clothes slowly crept across the hall with him. ‘Bruce’s Room’ was now known as ‘Bruce’s office’. There were kisses and ‘I love you’s’ at night, in the morning, and all the time in between. And, for the first time in long time, both of them were truly happy.

**Author's Note:**

> come say hi on twitter @softhulk


End file.
